How not to bring coronavirus into your home: 5 important tips from a US microbiologist
'08.10.2021'
Source: Kitchen decorium
Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, we are forced not to leave the house once again. However, for most of us, it is impossible to completely avoid going out into the outside world - due to work, the need to replenish food supplies, walking pets and other pressing matters. How can you minimize the risk of the virus entering your home, protect yourself and your household? Tells Kitchen decorium.
U.S. microbiologist Dr. Elizabeth Scott (professor of microbiology at the Center for Hygiene and Health at Simmons University in Boston) has given clear guidance on what to do each time she gets home from the street during a pandemic. Here are 5 necessary steps.
Step 1. We rub our hands before entering the apartment
You probably already know that immediately after leaving home you should not touch your face until you wash your hands with soap or thoroughly disinfect them.
The expert also advises to disinfect your hands before you enter the apartment and grab the doorknob. Of course, this advice implies carrying with you some kind of antiseptic (antibacterial wipes / hand sanitizer / hydrogen peroxide / chlorhexidine / alcohol at least 65%).
For car owners, Dr. Elizabeth Scott recommends disinfecting their hands every time they return to the car after going out into town before driving.
Step 2. We put the food packages on the floor, and we hang the bag and keys
Returning home from a grocery store requires a special level of vigilance, because, according to the latest data, the virus can live on tissue for at least 2 hours, on plastic - up to 72 hours, on cardboard - up to 24 hours.
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After you have sanitized your hands and entered the house, leave the grocery bags on the floor until you complete steps 3 and 4 (see below), and for now hang your bag and keys on the hook (or in the closet /on the shelf). This way you avoid cross-contamination of things and places of frequent use, such as a countertop or dining table.
Step 3. Remove dirty shoes and outerwear.
Regardless of where and how long you have been outside the apartment, your shoes and clothes become potential carriers of the virus. Microbiologist Scott advises to immediately take off outerwear and shoes and send these things to quarantine in a closet or specially designated place. If desired, things can be steamed, because COVID-19 is sensitive to heat treatment. It dies instantly at temperatures above 56 ° C and within 15 minutes at temperatures above 37 ° C. It is also advisable to immediately change from street clothes to home clothes.
Step 4. Wash my hands thoroughly
Now that you have removed your potentially “infected” clothes, it’s time to destroy the germs on your hands so that you don’t carry them to all surfaces in the house that you touch. Remember to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.
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Step 5. Unload the grocery bags and wash my hands again
After you've washed your hands, it's time to unload the grocery bags left on the floor. Then it is advisable to wash your hands again. By the way, Scott recommends using antiseptics only outside the apartment. Firstly, because it is a scarce commodity and it is better not to waste it. Second, soap and water are more effective at fighting germs and COVID-19. If you accidentally touch any surfaces with dirty hands, such as countertops, door handles or cabinet handles, they should also be disinfected with soap and water or chlorine or alcohol-based products.
Remember that at home, the surfaces that we touch most often are the most potentially dangerous surfaces for the spread of the new coronavirus. This list includes: faucets and door handles, toilet seats and drain buttons, switches, telephones, all mobile devices and TV remotes.
